Fluid valve with protected valve closing seal

Abstract

A fluid valve for use within a valve fixture such as a kitchen faucet, lavatory faucet or shower/tub control includes a body and a seal support positioned within the body and connected thereto. The seal support has an inlet and an outlet and the body has a discharge which is in alignment with the seal support outlet. There is an annular space defined between an interior wall of the body and an exterior wall of the seal support with there being a piston movable within this annular space and being in substantial contact with the interior wall of the body and the exterior wall of the seal support. The piston has an opening movable into alignment with the body discharge and the seal support outlet to provide a water passage from the seal support inlet to the discharge. There is a valve closing seal extending peripherally about the seal support outlet and in contact with the interior of the piston.

The embodiments of the invention in which an exclusive property or privilege is claimed are defined as follows: 
     
       1. Fluid valve means for use within a valve fixture such as a kitchen faucet, lavatory faucet or shower tub control including a body, a seal support positioned within said body and connected thereto, said seal support having inlet and outlet means, said body having discharge means in alignment with said seal support outlet means, a space defined between an interior wall of said body and an exterior wall of said seal support, a piston movable within said space and being in substantial contact with the interior wall of said body and the exterior wall of said seal support, said piston having an opening movable into alignment with said discharge means and outlet means to provide a water passage from said inlet means to said discharge means, said discharge means and outlet means having a relative size and configuration so as to effect no substantial pressure differential when water flows therethrough,   and valve closing seal means extending peripherally about said seal support outlet means and in contact with the interior of said piston.   
     
     
       2. The fluid valve means of claim 1 further characterized by and including an annular recess on the exterior of said seal support, the valve closing seal being positioned within said annular recess. 
     
     
       3. The fluid valve means of claim 2 further characterized in that said recess is spaced about said outlet means, there being contact between said piston and that portion of said seal support exterior inside of said annular recess. 
     
     
       4. The fluid valve means of claim 3 further characterized in that said valve closing seal and recess are uniformly positioned about said seal support outlet means. 
     
     
       5. The fluid valve means of claim 3 further characterized in that said piston is rotatably movable about a valve axis, said valve closing seal and recess being arranged about an axis perpendicular to said valve axis. 
     
     
       6. The fluid valve means of claim 3 further characterized in that said piston is rotatably movable about a valve axis, said valve closing seal and recess being arranged about an axis which forms an angle on the order of about 45 degrees with said valve axis. 
     
     
       7. The fluid valve means of claim 1 further characterized in that said seal support has a single inlet and a single outlet, with said body having a single discharge. 
     
     
       8. The fluid valve means of claim 7 further characterized in that said piston is rotatably movable about a valve axis which is generally coaxial with said single inlet. 
     
     
       9. The fluid valve means of claim 1 further characterized in that said seal support has a pair of inlets and a pair of oppositely disposed outlets, said body having a pair of discharge openings aligned with said seal support outlets. 
     
     
       10. The fluid valve means of claim 9 further characterized in that said piston is movable both axially and rotationally in the space defined between said seal support exterior wall and body interior wall. 
     
     
       11. A fluid mixing valve for use within a valve fixture such as a kitchen faucet, lavatory faucet or shower/tub control including a body, a seal support positioned within said body and mounted thereto, said seal support having a hot water inlet and a cold water inlet and spaced hot and cold water outlets respectively connected thereto, said body having spaced hot and cold water discharges aligned respectively with said seal support hot and cold water outlets, an annular space defined between the interior wall of said body and the exterior of said seal support, a thin wall piston extending about said seal support and being rotatably and axially movable within said space relative to said seal support, said piston being in substantial contact with the interior of said boy and exterior of said seal support and having water opening means communicable with either or both of said seal support outlets to control the flow of water to said body discharges, said outlets and body discharges having a relative size and configuration so as to effect no substantial pressure differential when water flows therethrough,   and a valve closing seal extending peripherally about each seal support outlet and in contact with the interior of said piston.   
     
     
       12. The fluid mixing valve of claim 11 further characterized in that said piston water opening means is a single opening of a size and configuration to communicate with either or both of said seal support outlets. 
     
     
       13. The fluid mixing valve of claim 12 further characterized in that said piston opening is unobstructed within its periphery. 
     
     
       14. The fluid mixing valve of claim 11 further characterized by and including an annular recess about each of said seal support outlets, with said valve closing seals each being positioned within an annular recess. 
     
     
       15. The fluid mixing valve of claim 14 further characterized in that each annular recess is spaced about its associated outlet to provide for contact between said piston and that portion of said seal support exterior inside of said annular recess. 
     
     
       16. The fluid mixing valve of claim 11 further characterized by and including a stem attached to said piston, said stem including a stem driver formed and adapted to have an operating handle mounted thereon and a thin rod connected between said stem driver and said piston, said thin rod having a diameter substantially less than the piston outer diameter with said stem being pressure unbalanced with the degree of unbalance being determined by the cross sectional area of said thin rod. 
     
     
       17. The fluid mixing valve of claim 16 further characterized by and including a non-movable seal member positioned within said body and in sealing engagement with the outer periphery of said thin rod. 
     
     
       18. The fluid mixing valve of claim 17 further characterized in that said stem driver is attached to said thin rod on one side of said seal member and said piston being attached to said thin rod on the opposite side of said seal member. thin rod on one side of said seal member and said piston being attached to said thin rod on the opposite side of said seal member.